U.K.’s Johnson Bows to Rashford Pressure With Child Poverty Fund
- Government provides 170 million pounds to ease winter hardship
- Manchester United’s Rashford led campaign pressuring premier
A mural of footballer Marcus Rashford in Salford, Manchester, on Nov. 7
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Boris Johnson’s government announced 170 million pounds of funding ($224 million) to help feed England’s poorest children over the winter, another climbdown on pandemic support after the prime minister came under intense pressure from a campaign led by English soccer star Marcus Rashford.
It’s the second time Johnson has bowed to pressure on the issue of child poverty, after the government extended its voucher program for free school meals over the summer. But its failure to continue the policy over the autumn school holidays triggered a major row, with Tory MPs facing widespread criticism and businesses and community groups backing Rashford’s campaign.